Panama Exchange Appoints Four Industry Leaders As Directors
August 05, 14
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They are Roberto Coin, the world renowned Italian jewelry designer and manufacturer; Maxim Shkadov, President of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association; Shmuel Schnitzer, President of the Israel Diamond Exchange; and Reuven Kaufman, President of the Diamond Dealers Club of New York.
"We are delighted to welcome a group of individuals with such stature, experience and business acumen to the PDE Board of Directors, and are confident that they will make an important contribution to the position of Panama as the principal jewelry trading hub in all of Latin America," said Eli Izhakoff, Founding Chairman of the Panama Diamond Exchange.
"Not only do they bring a wealth of knowledge about the international diamond and jewelry markets, but the very fact that they are involved in PDE's mission sends a message throughout the world."
The four new directors join other principal industry leaders serving on the PDE board, including Ernest Blom, President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses; Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation; and Avi Paz, Past President of the World Diamond Council and Hon. Life President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses and the Israel Diamond Exchange. Four additional directors will be announced shortly, thus completing the composition of the board.
Roberto Coin launched the jewelry brand that bears his name in 1996, and which is distributed via more than 1,000 points of sales in 63 countries. He is today President and CEO of a string of companies, including Roberto Coin Spa in Italy, the Fifth Season Manufacturing company in Italy, CKC manufacturing company in Bangkok, Coin Inc. in New York, Roberto Coin Diamond Centre in Dubai and Roberto Coin Hong Kong. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Dubai Diamond Exchange and the World Diamond Council.
Maxim Shkadov has served as President of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association since 2012. In 2005, he was elected President of the Russian Diamond Manufacturers Association, and from 2007 to date has served as Chairman of the Association. He also serves as the president of the Smolensk Diamonds Association, the organization consolidating the companies of Russia's Smolensk region involved in the diamond industry. In December 2004, he was appointed as Director General and CEO of Kristall Production Corporation.
Shmuel Schnitzer is the President of the Israel Diamond Exchange and Honorary Life President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses. He earlier served as president of IDE for six years, from 1998 to 2004, and was again elected president in 2013. He served as president of WFDB from 2002 to 2006. He is a member of the presidium of the Israel Diamond Manufacturers Association and a member of the board of the World Diamond Council (WDC). Schnitzer has been a member of the Advisory Committee of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange since its founding. He is chairman and CEO of S. Schnitzer Diamonds Ltd., an Israei diamond manufacturer and exporter.
Reuven Kaufman serves as President of the Diamond Dealers Club of New York, the largest organization of diamond dealers in America. He also serves on the Executive Board of World Federation of Diamond Bourses and the Board of CIBJO, the World Jewelry Confederation. Over the past 37 years, Kaufman has developed a leading diamond company in New York City, with offices in New York, India and the Far East, and manufacturing facilities in the United States and India.
The $200 million Panama Gem & Jewelry Center is the largest and most ambitious development project ever undertaken on behalf of the jewelry and gemstone trades in Latin America. Serving as a trading hub for both regional and international companies, the center will serve a market that today is worth $8 billion, and comprises 11,500 retail jewelry outlets located in 20 countries and 23 islands.